Gravity-lock.



No. 805,044. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905. L. A. TURNER. I

GRAVITY LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 26, 1905.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

witnesses SHEET 2 PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

L. A. TURNER.

GRAVITY LOCK. APPLICATION FILED JAN 26, 1905 LUOIUS-A. TURNER, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

GRAVITY-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed January 26, 1905. Serial No. 242,730.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known. that 1, LUoIUs A. TURNER, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the.

city and County of Denver, State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gravity-Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention which forms the subject of this patent relates to gravity-locks for swinging doors, and the improvements reside in certain novel constructions and combinations of pivotally-mounted gravity-bolt members connected together for cooperation with rotatable key-actuated wards or baflies directly connected to the bolt members for controlling their swinging movements as a single bolt.

My invention involves other features of con struction and of combination having coacting relation with the gravity-bolt members swinging upon the same center with, but independent of, the gravity-latch and means for looking the bolt and latch members as a single element.

The following description, read in connection with the accompanying drawings, will enable any one skilled in the art to which my invention relates to understand and to practice it in the form in which I prefer to employ it; but it will be understood that my invention is not limited to the precise form and construction herein illustrated and described, as modifications and changes may be made without exceeding the scope of the claims and the invention set'out therein.

The objects of the invention are to operate a pair of pivotally-mounted bolt members by the direct connection of rotatable wards or baffles with the swinging ends of said bolt members, whereby their retracting swinging movements will be positively controlled, to render the gravity-bolt members independent of the latch-knob spindle, and to hold the bolt members out of action when not in use by the same means by which the twin bolt members are secured in locked positions, the bolt members being connected and mounted to cause them to be maintained by gravity in positions.

in which their swinging ends vill engage the keeper.

Referring to said drawings, Figure 1 shows the lock with its pivoted latch and bolt members projected into the keeper and locked and the bolt-connected wards or bafifles in the positions they occupy to insert or withdraw the key, the case-plate being removed. Fig. 2 is a like view showing the pivoted bolt members held in their retracted positions and the latch projected into the keeper. Fig. 3 is a like view in which only one of the connected bolt members is seen in its retracted position and its engagement with one of the armed wards, the stump-key and the key-barrel and the fixed ward being removed. Fig. 4 is a like view in which only one of the connected bolt members is seen held in its retracted position by an inside stump-key and the gravity-latch in its projected position, the keybarrel and the fixed ward beingremoved. Fig. 5 is a like view showing only one of the connected bolt members projected, the latch re-' tracted, the inside stump-key having by the inward movement of the latch been automatically lifted from its engagement with the tang of said key to leave it freeto be moved and the key-barrel removed. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the lock on the line a 7) of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 shows the fixed and movable wards 'or baffles separated. Fig. 8 shows the latch and bolt members separated. Fig. 9 is a vertical section, enlarged, of the wards and the keybarrel. Fig. 10 shows the door-key. Fig. 11 shows the slotted face-plate of the lock. Fig. 12 shows the keeper-plate. Fig. 13 shows the inside stump-key and its stem in side view. Fig. 14; is a cross-section of the same. Fig. 15 shows a modified construction of the inside stump-key. Fig. 16 is a cross-section of the same. Fig. 17 shows the split key-barrel.

The side plates of the lock-case have each three openings in alinement and parallel with and near the rear side of the case. The upper openings have each an internal projecting collar 1 1, which receive and form bearings for the ends of the key-barrel. The lower openings also have internal projecting collars 2 2 to receive and form bearings for a hub 3, through a square opening in which the knobspindle 4 passes and to which is fixed the gravity-latch 5. The intermediate openings in the case have internal projecting collars 6 6, which receive and serve as bearings for an inside safety stump-key 7 and for holding it in position between the lock-plates, as in Fig. 6. The bolt members 8 8 are pivotally mounted on the case-collars 2 2, which also form the bearings of the hub of the gravity-latch, and these bolt members comprisetwo plates, each of which extends to the upper part of the case and flank the latch 5, so thata shouldered projection 9, formed on the outer edge of each bolt member, will be caused by gravity to be projected through the slot in the face-plate and into the keeper on the door-frame. The latch member also has a bolt forming projection 10 and is movable between the bolt members and independent of them, being controlled by the knob-spindle. The flanking bolt members lie against the inner walls of the case sides and form a single gravity-bolt, a member of which is on each side of the latch and mounted loosely on the case-collars of the knob-hub, so that they are controlled as a single bolt and for this purpose are connected for positive movement to unbolt them by means controlled by the key which I will now describe. At their upper parts the inner edges of these twin bolt members are formed with a circular recess 11, by which each is adapted to be connected to and operated by a circular ward 12, fitted to rotate upon each collar 1 of the case-openings. The upper part of the circular recess of each bolt has an edge notch or recess 13, into which fits the end of an arm 14, projecting from the circumference of each ward, so that the turning of these wards will retract the bolt members. A slot is made in the wall of each collar and is extended in the case to receive the tang of the key. The inner face of each of these circular wards has a segmental recess 16, the ends of which form shoulders 17, one. of whichv forms one side of a slot 18, which in the locked positions of the bolt members register with the key-slots in the case. To these armed wards the bolt members are connected so that these four elements, the armed wards, and the bolt members are moved as a unity in projecting and in retracting the bolt members. In this function of the armed wards they act also as baffles to the key, and for this purpose are supplemented by other wards or baffles operated by the key-barrel 19, fitted within the case-collars 1 1, between which it is held by a circumferential shoulder 20, so that the ends of the barrel are flush with the outer sides of the casing. Upon this barrel-shoulder are fitted wards or baffies 21, each having a radial slot 22 for the key-tang and each ward is locked to the barrel by a tooth 23, engaging a longitudinal groove 24:, Fig. 17, in the circumferential shoulder, and therefore rotatable with said barrel. Between these inner pair of rotatable wards is a fixed ward or baffle 25, forming a partition for the wards and having a slot 26, which registers With the keyhole-slots in the case. The barrel has a longitudinal slot 27 which registers with the slots 22 of the inner pair of wards 21, and these ward-slots will in inserting and turning the key be made to register with the slots in the armed wards to retract the bolt members. The tang 27 of the key has vertical notches 28 to receive and fit over the edges of the keyhole-collars, and a transverse slot 29 to receive and turn over the fixed ward 25, so that the key when inserted and its tang passed through-the several slots will engage the middle wards, and rotating them will engage the recess shoulders 17 of the armed wards, and thus retract or project the bolt members. An important feature in the construction of the barrel is a thin web 30, Fig. 17, crossing the longitudinal slot 27, coincident with the inner Wall of the central opening in the barrel and the provision of a stem 31, which connects the key-tang with the barrel-stem 32 of the key, so that in inserting the key this web 30 will be between the tang and the barrel-stem, (see Fig. 9,) and thereby provide an obstruction in the barrel itself which will render it as near as possible impossible to pick the look. I have shown and prefer to make the keyreceiving barrel in two longitudinal half parts, one of which has the Webbed slot 27 for the key-tang and the other part has the groove 24, by which the inner pair of wards 21 are locked to the barrel. It will be noticed that the end of the tang-stem 31 projects a little below the lower edge of the tang, so that in inserting the key the end of this tang-stem 31 will enter the barrel-slot and engage its edges, and turning the key either way will, should the slot in the barrel be out of alinement with the slot in the case, bring said slots into alinement and allow the key to be inserted. In this insertion of the key the lower edge of its tang will rest on the case until the slots are in alinement. As the bolt members are mounted so that they will fall by gravity into locking positions with the keeper, provision is therefore made for bolding the bolt members in their retracted or unbolted positions. For this purpose each bolt member is formed with a curved arm 33 below the wards, standing toward the back of the case and. around the middle-collared openings in the case. Within these collars 6 is mounted a stump-key, the tang 35 of which is adapted to act with a cam function when turned to the right or to the left against the inner curved edges of said arms and the inner edges 34 of the bolt members. Should it be desired to hold the bolt members in their unlocked position, the stump-key is turned toward the rear of the case and against the inner walls of the curved arms, and thereby form a stop against the falling of the bolt members, as in Fig. 2. When the bolt members are in their locked positions, by turning this stump-key in the opposite direction it will engage the edges 34 of the bolt members and secure them in their bolted positions, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. As these functions of the stump-key are only rendered operative from the inner side of the door, it makes a safety-lock by preventing the bolt members from being unlocked from the outside. The turning of the stump-key to either of these positions is limited by the angle end 36 of the curved arm and a should 37 .on

the edge of each boltmember. When this safety stump-key is not used to hold the bolt members in either bolted or unbolted positions, the stump-key tang is turned in a vertical position and engaged by a dog 38, having a notch or groove 39, by which it is caused to drop into engagement with the edge of the stump-key tang. For this purpose the dog is held normally, so that in turning the tang up either way it will lift the dog until the tang reaches the notch, when the dog will drop to engage its notch with the tang. The post 40, to which the removable plate of the case is screwed, serves as the pivot for this dog, and an angle end 41 of the latter resting against the inner wall of the case serves to hold the dog in its normal position, as in Fig. 2. The stump-key is operated by a knobbed stem 42, which is adapted to engage the shank 43 of said key. For this engagement I prefer the construction shown in Figs. 13 and 14, in which the stem is wedge-shaped in cross-section, and the key-shank has a longitudinal groove 43 of corresponding cross-section, so that the stump-key being fitted in place within the collars between the lockplates the knobbed stem is inserted through an opening in the inner lock-plate and held therein by a pin 44, Fig. 6, on the knobbed stem. The same result is obtained by the construction shown in Figs. 15 and 16, in which grooves 43 are formed in the opposite sides of the tang-shank, and the knobbed stem has a pair of parallel fingers 45, adapted to engage the grooves of the tang-shank. It isimportant to note that in turning the stump-key to secure the boltmembers in their locked position it also engages a shoulder 45 on the latch and makes thereby a bolt of three members, so

that neither of the three pivoted bolt members can be actuated by the key or by the knobs from either side of the door. When the stump-key is retained in vertical position, the bolt-members are free to be actuated by the key-wards and the latch by the knobbed shank and to turn the stump-key to the position to retain the bolt members out of action, or to secure the three pivoted members in their projected positions as a bolt the stump-key must first be releasedfrom the dog, and this is automatically etl'ected in withdrawing the latch, which by a curved recess 46 at its inner edge is caused to strike the inner free end of the dog and by a cam action thereon lift its notch free of the tang of the stump-key, the turning of which in either direction allows the dog to fall to its normal position to be again engaged with the stumpkey to hold it out of'action, as in Fig. 5.

Referring. to the barrel-collars 1 1, I prefer to make their projection equal to the thickness of the armed wards and the barrel-shoulder 20 equal to the thickness of the two inner and the fixed wards, so that the barrel will rotate within the fixed ward and the fixed plate slot.

case-collars, and while the connection of the armed wards with the bolt members will cause them to be projected and withdrawn'by positive movements effected by the key on the withdrawal of the latter the bolt members will fall in looking positions within the keeper, causing thereby the movable wards to be turned to the positions in which the bolt members may be locked in the keeper; but when the bolt members are held retracted the latch is under the free control of the knobs and engages a lower or sunken notch part 47 of the face-plate slot 48 to keep the door tight.

There is an escutcheon-plate 49 for each side of the door, each having a keyhole 50 registering'with the key-barrel; but the inside plate only has an opening 51 for the insertion of the stem of the safety-key, which is of a length to suit different thicknesses of doors.

The lock can be mortised in doors swing ing either way, the strike or keeper plate for this purpose being reversible by havingits projecting strike or lip 52 inclined to act against the vertical edges 53 of the latch and of the bolt members to cause their inward movement,

while an inclined projecting lift part 54 at each end of the strike-lip acts against the horizontal shoulder parts 55 to cause the lifting of the latch and bolt members to guide them into the keeper-slot. In this lifting of the bolt and latch members it will be noticed that the curved strike-shoulders 54 54 at their flaring ends are a greater distance apart than the distance between the sunken notches 47 at each end of the keeper-slot, so that the lifting action of the curved strike-shoulders will cause the bolt and latch members to pass into slot without striking. The curved shoulders flare from the slot, which is notched at each end to render the keeper reversible. To open the door, insert the pass-key into the barrel and turn it to the right as far as it will turn and by the engagement of the key-tang with-the recessed shoulders of the armed wards the arms of the latter will by their engagement with the upper ends of the bolt members pull them inward inunlocked positions. Then retract the latch, and the door can be opened. Removing the key allows the bolt members to fall in their projected positions in the face- The pass-key can be used to retract the bolt members from either side of the door. The retraction of the latch and bolt members is limited by their contact with the circumference of the wards or baffles, while the reverseturning of the key to bring it in position for removal will be limited by the engagement of the ends of the arms of the wards with the recesses of the bolt members, which, resting in the front-plate slot, form stops to arrest the further turning of the armed wards. In this turning of the armed wards the shoulders of their recesses positions.

are in matching opposite positions, so that the tang of the key will engage the shoulders of each at the same time to move the bolt members in and out together as a single bolt. The bolt members are unlocked from the inside of the door by the stump-key, which also holds the bolt members out of their locked The mounting of the bolt members each on the outer walls of the collar of the case and the mounting of the latch member within said collars allows the free and easy movement of the bolt members upon said collars independent of the latch, the knob-spindle of which passes through the hub of the latch and is therefore free of any binding or cramping action of the bolt members upon'the bearings of the latch hub. This construction causes theforce of the clamping action of the stump-key upon the bolt members when looking them to be resisted by the collar-bearings of the bolt members, leaving the latch easy to be moved by the spindle.

It will be understood that in closing the door both the vertical edges and the horizontal edges of the projected shouldered parts of the bolt members and of the latch will strike different inclined surfaces of the keeper and be pushed inward and lifted into the case until they fall into the keeper-slot.

I claim 1. In a lock, a pair of bolt members movable on a common center and caused to maintain locked positions by gravity, a key-barrel, a pair of wards or baffles rotatable centrally with said key-barrel, each ward having a circumferential connection with the free end of each bolt member to operate them as an entity.

2. In a lock, a pair of bolt members movable on a common center and caused to maintain locked positions by gravity, a key-barrel, a pair of wards or baffles rotatable centrally with said key-barrel, each ward having an arm adapted to engage the free end of each bolt to operate them as an entity.

3. In a look, a pair of bolt members movable on a common center and caused to maintain locked positions by gravity, the free end of each bolt member terminating in an arm overhanging its rear edge and having an edge recess or notch, a pair of wards or baffles rotatable centrally with said barrel and each having an arm freely engaging the recess of each bolt member to operate them as a single bolt.

4. In a look, a pair of gravity-bolt members, and a gravity-latch each movable on a common center, said bolt members flanking the latch, a key-barrel, a pair of wards or baffles rotatable centrally with said key-barrel and connected to operate said bolt members inde pendent of the latch.

5. In a look, a pair of gravity-bolt members and a gravity-latch each movable on a common center, said bolt members flanking the latch, a key-barrel, a pair of wards or baffles rotatable centrally with said key-barrel and connected to operate said bolt members independent of said latch, and means whereby said three pivoted members are secured as a single bolt in locked positions.

6. In a look, a pair of gravity-bolt members each movable on an internal projecting collar, a key-barrel each end mounted to rotate within an internal projecting collar, a pair of wards each mounted to rotate on said barrel-collars and connected to operate the free ends of said bolt members, and means for securing said bolt members in locked positions.

7. In a look, a pair of gravity-bolt members each movable on an internal projecting collar, a gravity-latch having a bearing-hub mounted within said collars, and the knob-spindle passing through said hub for operating the latch independent of the bolt members.

8. In a look, a pair of bolt members having a common center on which they are caused to maintain a locked position by gravity, a keybarrel, a pair of wards or bafl'les central with said barrel and having arms engaging the free ends of said bolt members, means whereby the latter are held in retracted positions, and means for rotating said wards.

9. In a look, a pair of bolt members having a common center on which they are caused to maintain a locked position by gravity, a keybarrel, a pair of wards or baffles central with said barrel, and having arms engaging the free ends of said bolt members, means for rotating said Wards or baffles, and means whereby the bolt members are held in retracted positions consisting of a curved arm projecting rearwardly and downwardly from each bolt member and a stump-key mounted to engage when turned said curved arms and hold the bolt members against their gravitating force.

10. In a look, a pair of bolt members having a common center onwhich they are caused to maintain a locked position by gravity, a keybarrel, a pair of wards or baffles central with said barrel and having arms adapted to engage the free ends of said bolt members, means for rotating said wards or baflies, each bolt member having an arm curving'rearwardly and overhanging the rear edge of each bolt member, and a stump-key mounted in such relation to the inner wall of each curved arm and to the rear edge of each bolt member as to cause said key when turned in one direction to engage the bolt members to lock them, and when turned in the opposite direction to engage the said curved arms to hold the bolt members in'retracted positions.

11. In a lock, including the case, a pair of bolt members havinga common pivot on which they are caused to turn freely and to maintain locked positions by gravity each member having an overhanging arm at its upper free end having a recess in its inner edge, a key-barrel, a pair of wards mounted centrally with said key-barrel, each ward having an arm freely engaging each recess in the bolt-arms, the inner edge of sald arm having a curved recess corresponding to the circumference of said wards whereby the retraction of the bolt memhers, is caused by the rotation of the wardarms and limited by contact with said wards.

12. In a lock, the combination with the case, a pair of gravity-bolt members mounted to turn freely on a common center, a key-barrel, a pair of wards central with said key-barrel each having an'arm adapted to have a free engagement with the free ends of said bolt members to effect their retraction by a key inserted within said barrel, a gravity-latch between the bolt members mounted on bearings independent of the bearings of said bolt members, and means for locking the three pivoted members in their bolting positions.

13. In a lock, including the case, a pair of bolt members, caused to turn freely and to maintain locked positions by gravity, a keybarrel, mounted to rotate within fixed collars, a pair of wards rotatable on the outer walls of said collars and having each a segmental recess and an arm adapted to have a free engagement with the free ends of said bolt members, a ward seated on the recessed face of each armed ward and rotatable by and with said barrel, and a middle fixed ward, the latter having a key-tang slot registering with the slot in the keyholes of the case, the barrel and the wards rotatable by it, and the armed wards having radial slots corresponding with the fixed slots, and a key adapted to engage the barrel and said slots to effect the retraction of the bolt members.

14. Inalock, and including its case, apair of bolt members, caused to freely turn to maintain locked positions by gravity, a key-barrel,

in fixed collars, a pair of wards rotatable on the outer walls of said collars and having engagement with the free ends of the bolt members, intermediate wards, the case and the said wards having radial slots corresponding with slots in the collars and barrel, and a key adapted to engage the slots in the collars and in the wards and having a tang adapted to engage the web of the barrel-slot.

15. In a lock, the combination with the case, a gravity-bolt, a key-barrel, having a longitudinal slot interrupted by a transverse web, a plurality of wards each having a key-slot corresponding with the barrel-slot, a pair of said wards connected to the free end of said gravity-bolt, intermediate wards and a key having a tang adapted to engage the slots in the wards, the slots in the case, and to engage the web of the barrel-slot.

16. In a lock, the combination with the case having internal collars, at each keyhole, a pair of pivotally-mounted gravity-bolts, a pair of wards mounted to rotate upon the outer walls of said collars and having means for engaging the free ends of said bolt members, a key-barnel split longitudinally, having a longitudinal slot registering with a slot in each collar, and mounted in bearings within said collars, intermediate wards mounted upon and rotatable with said barrel, and a key adapted to operate said wards.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LUCIUS A. TURNER.

Witnesses:

HENRY B. TELLER, EWALD W. HEINEMANN. 

